Naugatuck Valley Community College hosted a reception honoring 30 Principal-to-President Scholarship recipients from 19 area high schools on Tuesday, June 9 in the College’s Technology Hall Dining Room. NVCC President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D. said she hopes the scholarships, which were applied in academic year 2014-15, encourage the students to expand their horizons while exploring choices for future postsecondary education.

“It is about bringing the high school students to the College to have them experience themselves in the college environment and to see that they can do well,” said President De Filippis. “It is through education that lives move forward.”

President De Filippis said that she hopes to see many of the scholarship recipients back at the College once they complete high school. At NVCC’s 50th commencement in May, the College awarded more than 1,000 certificates and degrees for the fourth consecutive year.

“As you prepare for your next step towards accomplishing your academic goals, please reach out to us; let us know if we can offer assistance,” said Dean of Student Services Sarah Gager. “Whether it’s taking a class during winter break or taking a summer class or even taking an online class as you transition to another academic institution this fall or spring, we are here to support you.”

“Naugatuck Valley Community College is grounded by the mission of considering students our most sacred trust and finest asset,” said Dean of Academic Affairs Irene Rios-Knauf, Ed.D. “Ensuring student success is at the heart of all that we do—both in and outside of our classrooms… You are the students that we in the halls of higher education especially admire.”

Dean Rios-Knauf left the scholarship recipients with a piece of advice: remember the number 168. It’s the number of hours each individual has to live in one week’s time. When she has asked students to account for all of the time they have spent on various tasks over the course of a week, she said they were surprised to find they did have 10-15 hours per week to study, and still had plenty of time for the other demands of life.

The Principal-to-President Scholarship program is in its sixth year. The scholarships award high school juniors and seniors within the College's 22-town service region a tuition waiver and book voucher to take a course on the NVCC campus. Credits earned by the students can be applied to any institution of higher education, either as an elective or as one of their general course requirements.